Change Your Thoughts From Me to We

Wow, this organization absolutely blows me away! I first heard about Me to We at Green Festival in 2004. I know, I know - you will hear me say that I heard about a lot of these kinds of things from Green Fest, but it's true- every time I go I learn totally amazing things and am inspired by incredible people.

So, I spoke with the people at their booth and ended up buying this book, written by two brothers, who have done amazing work and traveled all over the world to help improve people's lives. I got half way through the book, then packed it up and moved, so once I get it out of storage, I will finish it. What I read was inspiring and beautiful. If you consider yourself an activist or at least care about other people and how you can help change the world, then you should read this book.

Anyway, I want to talk about Me to We, a social enterprise with a mission. I am going to take this straight from the website, since they say it best:

"Me to We transforms consumers into world changers, one transaction at a time. Me to We sells socially conscious and environmentally friendly clothes, books and music – as well as life-changing experiences. We also provide inspiring speakers, leadership training and transformative travel experiences.

Me to We measures the bottom line, not by dollars earned, but by number of lives we change and the positive social and environmental impact we make. Half of Me to We's profit is donated to its charitable partner, Free The Children."

Free the Children helps to educate and empower children in North American and the UK and has "brought over 650 schools and school rooms to youth and provided clean water, health care and sanitation to one million people around the world, freeing children and their families from the cycle of poverty."

Also, the people who founded Me to We, Marc and Craig Kielburger, are excellent examples of people who see a real need in society, have a vision, work to build it and are successful financially AND in making the world a better place by changing people's lives. Seriously. Let these guys be an example to motivate you and help you accomplish your goals and dreams!!!

Check out their website, look into their books and get ready to be inspired. Then take that inspiration and do something amazing and good.

http://www.metowe.com/

Your Lungs Will Love Lotus Root

Are you experiencing coughing and chest tightness now that we are in the season of Autumn? If your lungs seem less-than-happy, try eating natural foods that are specifically good for healthy lung functioning, such as lotus root. Lotus root is a root vegetable that has a mild sweet flavor and crunchy texture when lightly cooked. It is great for drawing mucus out of the body and helps your lungs feel happy and healthy.

A few weeks ago I felt congested because I had been eating more bread than usual. I had been staying away from those things for a little while and eating lots of vegetables, whole grains and soups to help remedy my symptoms, but I still did not feel 100% better. I decided to make some Lotus Root Miso Soup and after eating it a few times, I felt like myself again within two days! I could breathe normally, my chest felt relaxed and I stopped coughing.

Lotus root is not just good in soups, it can be used in stir fries, cooked with rice or beans or cut into big chunks and cooked in a stew. I bought myself dried lotus root online and soaked it for 1/2 an hour before cooking it in my soup. You can use fresh or dried for this recipe. Here is the recipe I used, but feel free to substitute or add in any vegetables you like:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 stamp sized piece of kombu seaweed
• organic barley miso
• 2 stalks of scallions
• 15 slices of dried and soaked lotus root
• 1 carrot

Directions:

1. Rinse the piece of kombu and place it in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil.
2. Slice carrot in thin diagonal slices and slice scallions in 2 inch diagonal slices.
3. Once the water is boiling, place the lotus root slices into the water. Let it cook for 12 -15 minutes.
4. Add carrot slices to boiling water and let cook for 5-7 minutes or until the carrot slices are soft. Turn the stove to simmer.
5. Scoop 1 tablespoon of miso into a ladle and dissolve the miso. Taste the soup and add more miso to taste. Add scallions.
6. Serve the hot soup in individual bowls, sit and relax. Enjoy the soup and appreciate how you are honoring your body by eating something healing, that is made with love.

Nature Intended Underarm Freshness, All Day Long

I know it might seem silly to be excited about deodorant, but this one works so well and smells amazing- plus it's all natural and does not contain any aluminum!

Now that we know that much of what we put on our skin gets absorbed through our pores and goes directly into the bloodstream, it becomes more import to make healthy choices about body care products. Using chemical deodorant may not seem like a big deal, but people are exposed to small amounts of toxins on their skin 50 times a day or more - considering how often a person uses hand soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products, toothpaste, moisturizers, cosmetics, etc. Add that up with environmental toxins and a lifetime of exposure, and that's a lot of toxicity!

Taking small steps to lessen toxic chemical exposure can make you have a healthier, happier home, family and life. It can also be an opportunity to creatively find solutions, like making your own body care products and mindfully consuming less, which is good for you wallet and for the environment.

You can find Home Health Roll On Deodorant in Herbal Scent in natural food stores, or easily online. I ordered mine in bulk from LuckyVitamin.com This website is great because if you order in bulk, you get a better discount.

Home Health Deodorant